title: Single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 Tesla in a memory disorders clinic: early right hippocampal NAA/Cr loss in mildly impaired subjects.
abstract: In this study, we use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 3 Tesla to measure N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol (mI) and choline (Cho) to creatine (Cr) ratios in R (right) and L (left) hippocampi (H) in 8 mildly memory impaired (MMI), 6 probable Alzheimer's Disease (PRAD), and 17 control subjects. NAA/Cr was significantly reduced in the RH in the MMI group and bilaterally in the PRAD group vs. controls. No other metabolite differences were noted between the three groups. Five MMI subjects have converted to PRAD in follow-up. These findings suggest that RH NAA/Cr ratios measured at 3 Tesla may be a sensitive marker of future progression to dementia in a clinically defined population with isolated memory complaints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. mcaserta@health.usf.edu
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ragin
authors.forename: Adriana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hermida
authors.forename: R John
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wise
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D001224:Aspartic Acid; D007294:Inositol; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline